Waterbury evening Democrat., 1887-12-19
FEW NON-CHURCH-GOE THERE.
The Religious Meeting at the Opera
 House Yesterday.

The Religious Meeting at the Opera
 House Yesterday.
 Few, if any, of the non-church- going people were among the large audience that assembled at the Opera House yesterday afternoon to attend the first of a series of undenominational religious services, by which it is hoped to gather in some of those who do not attend church. But the very people who offer all manner of excuses for not attending church were not there in sufficient num- bers to be noticeable The hour-2:3O oclock-would seem to be rather inoppor- tune, as many people eat their Sunday dinner at that hour. The service, how ever, aside from accomplishing the object it has in view, was a success, and lasted one hour and a half.
 The service was conducted by Rev Dr Bowdish of the Methodist church. On the platform with him were Rev Dr Anderson Rev J. G. Davenport, Rev Alpheus Winter of Hartford, Rev MT Brink and Rev MT Loyd A chorus of IA voices occupied seats on the stage and Prof. Witherspoon presided at the organ. The service was opened by l singing ''All Hail the Power of Jesus Name," the audience joining with the | chorus.
 The Rev Dr Bowdish alluded felingly in his prayer to the proprietor of the Opera House. After a selection from the Gospel Songs'' he explained the object of the meet l ings. He said that it was not the fault of the church that many people did not attend church. He attributed it to the idea that was generally entertained among people that the churches were like elegant Pullman cars and that it is necessary to pay to get ride The movement was de- | signed to throw down the barriers before the church doors.
 | Although the Rev Alpheus Winter was announced as the principal speaker, the remarks of Dr Anderson, who followed Dr | Bowdish, were the most interesting and 1 appropriate to the occasion. "Whatever doubts I may have" said Dr Anderson, 'in regard to the immediate results of these meetings upon the churches I feel a deep interest in them. Nine-tenths of the audi ence before me probably belong to the church-going class, and I feel as if l had a conference of the Waterbury churches, or according to my own ecclesiastical view the Church of Christ" The speaker said that there were in Waterbury 30, ,00O people of whom 12, 900 were Roman Catholics and | 1S,0OO Protestants. He had never heard of city the number of whose churches was so small in proportion to the population. Waterbury had only eight Protestant 1 cuuTCuoS GO us IC,U ,UUO IfOGeSGd1I pOpuldG1Ou and from 5000 to 10000 of these never went to church except as they go to the Opera House when there was some special service like Sunday school entertainment or a praise service. He did not think that the average attendance at the morning service in the Protestant churches was over 800 to each congregatoin. "Who is responsible?" asked the speaker. ''The Church of Christ is responsible. Why are we responsible? and looking into the future you and I must answer that question. This is not Sunday school en- tertainment or praise service. It is ar- ranged in the hope, and let us hope that it may be fulfilled, that the people may be attracted in and at length become workers in Christ's Kingdom"
 Rev MT Davenport, in behalf of the church he represented, expressed pro- found sympathy for the movement The Rev Alpheus Winter ot Hartford secretary of the Connecticut Temperance Union, said that he was \ glad to learn that the churches of Water bury felt an interest in those people who do not attend church.
 Miss Jessie Wadhams sang 70, What Shall theHarvest beg" and after announce ment of services in the various churches the Rev MT Lloyd of the A. M. E. Zion church pronounced the benediction.